BTS’ Netflix docu ‘The Return’ shows how K-pop boy group fought for identity, growth

After their hiatus in 2022, K-pop boy group BTS is finally back with their latest album “Arirang,” showcasing their growth and much more defined Korean identity in their music.

“Arirang” went on to top the Billboard 200 chart with 641,000 equivalent album units earned, according to Billboard magazine.

Following their massive success in the 2020s with songs like Dynamite, Butter and My Universe earning nods at the Grammys, BTS went on hiatus to serve their mandatory South Korean military service.

Used to the routine of their military training, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook shared how they navigated their life as artists back in Los Angeles with the documentary “BTS: The Return” on Netflix.

In “The Return,” BTS chronicled the journey of how they made the album and how they incorporated the folk song Arirang in the introduction track Body To Body as their way of establishing their ground as Korean artists.

The group also shared their thoughts on how they took their direction as artists to the next level with RM saying: “Life of BTS for 12 years, it was blessed. Normally, the life of a K-pop artist is really short, but luckily our life has extended.”

“The pressure is that we have to decide what to keep and what to change, but for those kinds of questions, no one knows. Bang is the chairman of HYBE. Even he doesn’t know because he’s never been there. There’s no references. So, we’re doing a lot of experiments. Just trying to find out what makes us special and what makes us BTS,” he added.

Back to basics

Taking on the global stage, BTS took some time in LA, California in the US to work on their album.

“We’ve been in LA all summer to find the sound for the album. LA gives us space to experiment. Different energy from what we’ve done before. After this, straight to Korea to mix the album and spring 2026 will be the comeback. We promised our fans that we’d be back,” RM said.

Fresh from their military service, V admitted that they are having a hard time going back to their routines as artists as they have yet to work on the lead single.

“I haven’t been out of the military for long, but I think I’ve always had this desire to spend some time living abroad like what we’re doing right now. We’ve been living in L.A. for about two months. It’s great, but I do miss Korea,” V said.

“This is a challenging album. And that’s the point, right? We’re trying to push ourselves and experiment more, but I don’t feel like we’ve changed much,” he added.

RM felt the same thing and said: “Personally, I really hate to be stuck in a routine. But, the funny thing is, we spent a year and a half in the military. And now, it all feels like a dream. It feels like we were never there.”

“In the military, we had to do the same thing over and over again. Time just passed by. But here in LA, time with the members, my second family, this feels like Kairos. Time really stretches and you really feel,” he added.

J-Hope reminded the group that they should loosen up: “I just wanna have fun making music, but I feel like we’re all restraining ourselves. We’re kind of operating like a factory.”

“I know there’s a lot to consider, but if we can just be happy making the album and if we can make our fans happy and all of us are happy together in the end, then I’m pleased with that outcome and I feel strongly about that,” Jin added.

The group went on to have quality time watching their previous shows, with RM saying: “I started making music because there was something I wanted to say to the world, but being a K-pop idol means you’re always producing something, ‘cause you need to be doing something.”

“So, there was a point where I didn’t know who we were. If I say, ‘I need a break,’ it almost feels like I’m committing a crime. I want us to be together for a long time,” he added in the clip that they are watching.

Suga realized how they should stick to their core on why they make music: “For me, creating music is a way of documenting myself or the version of myself in that moment, but I want my music to be intentional. I want the art I create to have a distinct message,” he said.

Know your history

To give inspiration to the group, Boyoung Lee, executive creative director of Bighit Music, told the story of seven young men who went to Washington, D.C. to receive education. It was then revealed to be the people behind the recording of Arirang, the first recorded Korean song.

“This song holds deep cultural significance for our people… It was spread orally by members of the working class as they crossed mountains and rivers. With your passion for ARMYs and music, we felt that Arirang really resonated with BTS as a whole,” she said.

Sampling the song, Jungkook wanted the track to be their version of Arirang and said: “I hope that we’ve done a good job. Ultimately, I do think the concept should be Arirang, no matter what.”

“But there are a lot of different ways to express Arirang, and its meaning and how it’s expressed is ultimately up to us as the artists. So, I’m keeping that in mind. I have a lot of different thoughts about it. It’s tough.”

Making the song Body To Body, the group had struggles with how they would incorporate Arirang with RM saying: “The rapping, the music, the singing, it’s like three songs mashed together. It’s like you made bibimbap, but you added sliced bread and pork cutlet and kimchi. Maybe it’s because we’re Korean? That’s why it kinda sounds off?”

“This album marks the start of our second chapter. No matter how much BTS might evolve with our sound, at our core, we’re still just a group of kids from Korea and that’s never gonna change,” he added.

In another session, BTS debated

whether they would sample Arirang longer or shorter, with J-Hope worrying that they might be overdoing it and having fears that it would be an overkill.

Jungkook echoed J-Hope’s sentiments saying: “Also, not everyone’s gonna get what Arirang is. At least outside our Korean audience. So, looking at it more globally, we should prioritize making it sound good.”

“Look, we all know that an act like BTS only comes around once every few decades. And there’s also no denying you’re Korean,” he added.

RM stood his ground and fought for the longer sample: “Making this album, the question I kept asking myself was, ‘How far do you wanna go?’ ‘How much are you gonna change?’ and ‘How much can you assert yourself?’ And that’s the most important thing.”

“Coming into it, we were determined to push ourselves. But now that we have the chance to do that, we’re scared. If you, like, spit everything inside yourself out, then you have to fill it again, so you need something from the outside,” he said.

For the group’s leader, Arirang is a song that expresses deep sorrow and longing: “For many years, our people would sing Arirang in an attempt to overcome great pain and suffering with joy.”

The group went on to release Body To Body with the longer sample, flaunting their Korean roots while still showing that K-pop flair.

“I think that as a Korean person, the thought of sampling this famous, traditional song felt too on the nose. That was my reaction at first. But when I realized the weight that Arirang carries and the message we wanna convey with that album name, the sample felt almost organic,” RM said.

“And once we decided to lean into it, I thought ‘Why hold back?’ Let’s commit. Let’s go all the way with it. And we realized that it may be a song only we can create,” he added.

New ‘mellow’ vibe

For their lead single, BTS went with the mellow track SWIM, something that V admitted was not their usual vibe: “I wasn’t sure we could pull it off. I mean, a three-year hiatus is a long time. But it’s more of a mild track, the one that’s more subtle. We picked the one that we could listen to over and over again.”

Amid the hesitation, RM recalled how some were also reluctant on releasing Dynamite, but they went on to follow their gut and the song catapulted them to success.

“It is weirdly similar to Dynamite… it’s a cool, mature song and it shows a lot of change. And right now, we need that kind of vibe,” he said.

Jimin was eager to fight for the new direction of their music with SWIM: “When people think of BTS, they think of strong, intense music. Music you can dance to. So, they were like, ‘Where’s that music?’ You know? That’s where their focus was.”

“I think it’s good. That’s why I’m fighting as hard as I can to convince them. And I told them, ‘I think that this is the only chance we’re going to get to experiment creatively,’” he added.

Suga is confident that the tracks of Arirang have shown their growth as a group: “I mean all of us are older now. I’ll be 34 when the album drops. I think the stories that we’re trying to tell are more grown-up now. We used to spend so much time in the studio. We wanted to get it right. It was a lot of suffering through the creative process. But now, if it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out.”

“We just move on and direct our energy elsewhere. We don’t feel the same desperation that we used to. At the end of the day, we don’t know if it’ll be a hit. We like what we like and that’s how it goes,” he added.

As artists, RM stressed how important it is for them to experiment and try new things in their craft, as what they are showing now with SWIM.

“Honestly, it’s just not our typical vibe. It’s different, but there’s nothing stopping us from picking that. And I think we’re at a point where we can at least consider it. It could be like describing, you know, somebody or like myself almost giving up but not giving up like 100 percent,” the leader said, describing the vibe of the song.

“Nowadays, everything changes all the time. Trends shift every quarter. A bunch of talented new artists are breaking into the industry and we have to change, too. How are we supposed to evolve if we keep pushing against the tide? That’s just existing,” he added.

With a much bigger fan base, Jungkook felt that it was a big responsibility to show their audience their growth: “I think as much as we appreciate having a large, global fan base, that intense level of fame can be a lot to carry. And when I look at myself, I really don’t think I’m that special. I think there’s a part of me that just wants to be seen as a singer and nothing else.”

In their 12 years as a group, Jin saw how much their bond has made them stronger: “When I was finally reunited with everyone in LA, it didn’t feel like I was seeing my colleagues. It just felt like I was seeing my family again. Having the opportunity to grow and change makes us stronger.”

“We’ve worked so hard to get everything ready for this album release, and it’s time to show our fans. It’s a really exciting moment. I’m honestly really happy. But at the same time, I’m really overwhelmed, because I’m just not the kind of person who can handle this level of popularity. I’ve been too successful for my own good,” he added.

RM is happy that they get to take on this new chapter of their careers together: “I’ve been spending half of my life with them. My second family. I think that’s the essence of BTS as a whole. I mean, we get to wear this big, incredible crown.”

“At times, the crown is heavy, almost unbearable, and it’s scary to wear. And if the seven of us can continue down this path together, we can swim whenever the tides take us,” he added.